Realization
by Optronix Prime
Summary: Before the war, many mechs lived life as it came, but little did they know about what happened under-the-table. A series of criminals worked a place called "The Underground." Between con artists, illigal weapon shipping, traders in banned substances, and assassins the Underground was a dangerous place. Now learn the life Krystal lead from her beginning to when she joined the war.
1. Part One: Target And Targeted

Author's Note: For those of you who have read my other fanfics know who Krystal is. She's a fun, anti-social, world class traitor with the background of a spy. But do you really know her? The neon striped femme you all know is simply a mask she's made for her own masque. Traveling back into the world before and during the war, we discover exactly who she really is: a cold blooded killer with a thirst for more. Through the outlet that is this story, you will learn exactly what created the cast that covers Krystal and her hidden history.

Part One: Target And Targeted

Acidic rain fell freely from the folds of black. The streets were completely void of all life. The windows of the buildings were patches of perfectly square rectangles. In one window a femme chased a youngling around the room, nothing but a smile on both faceplates. A mech came into the room and snatched up the youngling who screamed with joy at his capture. The couple smiled at each other. The mech set the child down and kissed his mate.

'Disgusting,' thought the black figure hiding in the shadows outside on the other side of the street. 'If he's my target, it will be too easy. Pathetic really.' The figure scanned the mech's face and compared it to the photo of her target. The results were negative. A flash of something caused the figure to turn and get into a defensive stance.

"I thought I'd find you here," a cool voice said suddenly. The figure whipped around, knife unsheathed. "Hello Krystal."

"What do you want, Slink?" Krystal spat. "If you haven't noticed, I'm currently busy with something that is always more important than you."

"Ouch," Slink joked, an amused glitter in his optics.

"Good. Now shoo." Krystal turned away. As she did, she turned on her thermal readings monitor. If Slink did anything above standing and venting, she'd know about it.

"Is that anyway to treat a friend?"

"I don't need friends. There are no such things as friends. Only targets."

"That is such a sad way to view life," Slink commented. It was a bold move considering who he was talking to. Krystal was the greatest assassin in the last two thousand vorns. Everyone in on "what happens under the table" knew it too. If she decided she was done talking to him, it would take her less than a kilk to kill him; maybe two because he was a descent assassin himself.

"Does your visit have any point?" Krystal, getting sick of the useless chit-chat, said tightly.

"It does, surprisingly," Slink answered. At his words, Krystal readied herself for a fight. There were only two reasons assassins met each other on such open turf. One: they have a message; or two: to kill them.

"I will kill you before you can even make the attempt," Krystal voiced without looking at him. Her optics were still fixed on the street, awaiting her target; all of her sensors were fixed on Slink. Slink, knowing this, laughed. It failed to echo across the walls that created the small, dank ally way.

"Trust me," Slink reassured her, "everyone in the underground knows you can kill them. I'm no different."

"Then why are you here if it isn't to kill me?"

"I am here with a message from a gladiator," Slink replied evenly. "He would like you to meet him at the coordinates plugged into this datapad at the start of the night cycle." Slink extracted the datapad from his subspace slowly and carefully. He knew if he made it look like he was retrieving a weapon, Krystal would kill him

"What is this gladiator's name?" Krystal asked smoothly, neither accepting nor declining the datapad.

"If I recall it correctly, his name is Megatron." After getting no response from Krystal, he continued his explanation. "He is the top gladiator at the underground arena in Kaon." Still no sign of anything from the shadowed femme. "He is the one the counsel is blaming for the uprisings in the outer districts." That got a reaction.

"He's the one causing all this chaos? Excellent. If you need to report back to him, tell him I will meet him. Give me the datapad." Slink gave it to her. Then, before she could even threaten him, he took off into the rain.

"Amateur," Krystal scoffed as she subspaced the datapad.

Reassuming her post, Krystal focused back on the vacant street. Nothing moved or twitched for some time. The only sound her enhanced audio respecters picked up was the sound of the rain speckling the city with its acidic content. The thick black clouds grew thicker over the megacycles that she stood there, waiting. Her target still had not shown. Her patience still intact, she had to wait another groon before things got messy.

Match for mech #12760 her imaging system briskly informed her.

"There you are," Krystal crooned softly, knife in hand. She stuck to the shadows, following her prey down the grim street. He made a left; Krystal crossed the street noiselessly. She was right on his tail, and he didn't even know it.

At that thought, a smile curved her lip components ever so slightly. Krystal's optics glinted dangerously under her visor.

Nine astroseconds later, her target lay dead in the next ally.

"That was too fragging easy." She kicked his body with her ped. "Well, whoever the frag you are, enjoy the inferno." And she left.

The solar cycle was coming to its close. Krystal realized this as she noticed 95% of the lights in the nearby houses powered down for the night cycle. Krystal decided it was time to meet this mech Megatron.

Krystal reached Kaon just as the lamps lighting the walk sprung to life. Guards had been placed on either side of the door. Like they could stop her. If she really wanted to get in this rinky-dink nightspot, it would be easier than taking oil cake from a youngling.

Krystal approached the double doors. Neither opened. Instead if waiting for the all clear from the guards, she opened the door herself. Each guard sprung at her.

Big mistake.

Krystal was faster than the fastest electrical surge. Her body swerved to avoid the blow from the first mech. The second one came from behind, wrapping his arms around her. In theory, this would have stopped her because she was so small; instead, it just pissed her off. She hopped up into the air, placing her peds on the mech's legs. She pushed off forcefully. Her body flipped over the mech while her arms stayed gripped in the servos of the brute. She jerked her arms back into his lower abdomen. The tack like spines on Krystal's elbows stunk through the armor plating like it was rust. An electric surge coursed through Krystal's body and into her would-be captor. The mech's body locked up, his optics cracked, and he fell to the ground, lifeless; his armor fading to grey.

The other mech, horror written plainly with his expression, dropped his weapon and held his servos high. Krystal let a sly grin pass over her lips, which were the only thing the guard could see on her face.

"Are you Krystal?" the guard asked, his voice quivering slightly.

"Would you like to find out?"

Before the mech could react, Krystal closed the gap between them. Her razor sharp digits gleamed in the lamp light. Krystal raised her servo. Before the guard could even utter a last word, Krystal raked her digits across his throat. He slumped to the ground; his energon spilling onto the pavement from the freshly gouged wound.

"Looks like I am Krystal," Krystal mused as she wiped her servo across the door of the pub, smearing the mech's energon across it.

Krystal kicked the door open, all sensors and systems on high (they always were). She looked around. Every face that looked in her direction was promptly scanned for recognition and checked for criminal records. Everyone Krystal scanned as she slowly walked through the pub was some sort of criminal. Whether they were a petty thief, credit banger, or a gladiator, they were there. Then she spotted someone who was truly out of place. Make that two someones.

"Thought you said you were never leaving the easy life of being a world class con artist," Krystal called as she strode up to the two mechs she thought were still prison mates in Iacon.

"I still AM a world class con artist," replied the red mech easily. "I am the best world class con there is."

"And what about you?" Krystal asked, this time directing her question at the other occupant of the small table. "You still his trusty sidekick?"

"He wishes," was the cold reply.

"Still holding that grudge, huh?" Krystal prodded. "I could have killed you, but I didn't."

"He knows," the red mech responded for the other. "So what brings you here, Krystal? If you're here on business, it'll have to wait until the beginning of the next deca-cycle."

"I am here on business, just not here for you."

"I see," he said slowly. "If you are in no hurry, join us for a drink. I'd get you one, but knowing you like I do, you wouldn't drink it anyway."

"Thank you for the invite. I have a few breems, I'll join you. Be right back." Krystal collected her own cube of energon from the bar and joined the duo.

"So how did two ghouls like yourselves become gladiators?"

"Long story," replied the red mech.

Krystal looked over at the other mech who was glaring at his cube.

"If you want me to leave, Sunstreaker, I will." The moody mech looked up.

"No, stay. Like I care what you do."

"Sunny, get rid of the pissy air and be nice."

"Shut the frag up, Sides." Krystal laughed softly as the two bickered. The quarrel went on for several more cycles before Sideswipe decided he had enough and slapped Sunstreaker across the face.

"Touch my paint again, and I'll kill you while you're recharging," Sunstreaker threatened with a low growl.

"I can arrange that," Krystal slipped in. Each twin looked at her funny. Then they each broke out laughing. Krystal laughed along with them as she sipped her energon. When Sideswipe came up from his spout of giggles, he vented slowly to cool his system.

"That's funny because it's true." Sideswipe grinned. "It's nice to have you here, Krystal."

"It is a pleasure, I will admit."

After several breems of seemly endless chat, Krystal excused herself from the twin terrors. She walked crisply over the smudged floor, tail not touching the ground. She made it over to the door she was supposed to go through. It was locked. Krystal simply rested her servo on the keypad and fried it to a crisp. The door slid open and Krystal entered. Several mangled keypads and a broken lamp later she was outside a door labeled: PERMANENT RESIDENCE OF MEGATRON.

"Could he be any more obvious? Krystal muttered under a quick vent.

Quickly, she realized she couldn't get in. No door knob, no keypad, no voice control. Nothing that could grant her access. Instead of kicking down the door, she unlocked the nearest air duct and crawled in with ease. A cycle later she pushed the vent cover off and fell into a room.

"Well hello," a low voice greeted. "Please, don't bother to knock." Krystal straighten and looked at the mech talking to her.

"I don't knock," was all she had to say.

"Noted. I see you took no time in slaying the mechs guarding this club."

"They wouldn't let me in."

"So you killed them?" Krystal shrugged.

"If you're here to lecture me on my morals, stow it. Or I'll be the last thing you ever see." Krystal let her threat sink in.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Nope. And I really don't care." The mech chuckled.

"I am Megatron, leader of the Decepticons."

"Still don't know or care." Megatron's smooth expression twitched.

"That does not matter at this time," Megatron decided. "I require your services." Krystal grinned darkly.

"What type of services do you require?" Krystal leaned casually against the wall, visor down, tail curving around her right leg.

"I have been told you are the most accomplished assassin in all of Cybertron. That you are highly skilled and trained. You never fail in your tasks." Krystal scoffed. She prided in her skills as an assassin, though it wasn't often someone else told her she was the best.

"I can do more than that, but assassination is my specialty," Krystal informed him. It was Megatron's turn to grin.

"Excellent! Excellent! I have several assassinations I need you to fulfill."

"Consider it done."

"Good. What do I owe you for your services?"

"Twenty thousand creds per target."

"Isn't that a bit pricey?"

"I am the best," Krystal reminded him.

"Then it will be seen to," Megatron informed her. "You now work for me." Krystal froze in the examination of her razor sharp digits. She pushed off the wall and slowly, but surely, made her way towards Megatron. Once she was right up in front of him, she gestured for him to bend down (for he was three times taller than she).

"I am Krystal. I will work with you on my terms, but I will never work for you. I make this very plain, no sugar coating. If you get that impression, it must be corrected for I work for myself and no one else. I am a loner. I do not need anyone standing in my way. I do not need crutches, ties, or anything for that matter. I am willingly assisting you with a mundane task that you are too lazy to accomplish yourself. If you would now like to revoke your offer, so be it. Do it now. I do not have all day for I am not at your disposal. Choose now." Megatron looked directly into Krystal's optics. His own showed disapproval and amusement.

"You are very bold," Megatron informed her.

"I could gut you like a cyber-fox."

"I doubt that."

It was that comment, those three little words that forevermore changed the course of Cybertronian history.

Until that moment in time, that ripple in the fabric of space, Megatron believed that he would never and could never, be bested by anyone. He strut the halls causing fear among every living thing for they believed he was unstoppable, untouchable, immortal. Until that moment when he told Krystal otherwise, everything was the way he wanted it; everything was firmly in place. Nothing could stop him from achieving his goals.

Until now.

Krystal's sleek tail puffed out exposing long thin needles. Her blood red optics darken behind her visor, a wicked gleam portrayed in the glass. She took up a threatening stance before she made the move that altered the world without anyone else even knowing it.

Except them.

Krystal darted around Megatron, tail snaking his ankles. The tiny needle-like spikes bit in between the armor plates into streams of wires and clumps of sensors along with an energon line. Megatron growled and swiped at her lithe black body but she was long gone. Krystal jumped onto his back. Long rivulets of energon drained from the puncture wounds made by Krystal's nimble digits. Megatron howled in pain and rage. He backed up to crush her into the wall, but she jumped upward, rebounded off the ceiling and onto his shoulders. She crouched down and locked her servos into Megatron's shoulders. She then slunk down his back, (servos still attached) wrapping her legs around his torso as she went. The ridges on the backs of her ankles stood out and inserted themselves into Megatron's chassis. Raw power pulsed from Krystal's body into Megatron's. His frame started to convulse and spasm. His knee joints gave out quickly and he fell to the floor with a thud. Krystal removed herself from him and admired her handiwork.

"You doubted what exactly?" Krystal asked with malice etched in her tone. She bent down, her lips next to Megatron's audios. "I am the best, remember that. Next time you cross me I won't be so kind as to letting you live. Lemme know if you still want those tasks accomplished." And with that, Krystal strode from the room like mechs strolling through parks.

As she exited the room, she was stopped by a large blue mech with a red visor covering his optics. A think sheet of glass covered his chest as he towered over her, visor glowing.

"Krystal," the mech stated in a monotonous tone.

"Soundwave," Krystal acknowledged.

"State purpose for entry."

"I was having a chat with ol' tin can in there," Krystal said as she pointed over her shoulder to the door she's just come out of. "Damn he's got one frag of a temper."

"Lord Megatron invited you?"

"Lord?" Krystal said in slight shock, optics blinking behind the blue colored visor. "Holy slag, Soundwave! Committed much?"

"Query unknown."

"Never mind," Krystal stated off-handedly. "How's Ravage? He behaving?"

"Ravage's status: fully trained, fully functional," Soundwave reported. Well, droned in Krystal's audios.

"Well, I best be-"

Something bright red streaked through Krystal's legs, off the wall, and onto the low hanging ceiling light. A small sniper rifle in his servos pointed at Krystal's peds. Krystal was ready to attack the mech when a similar purple mech came sprinting up from behind holding the same gun. The little blue mech pointed up at the red and black one and fired a series of glowing green pellets.

"Total pwnage!" celebrated the blue one. "I fragging got you! Take that you filthy glitchmouse!" The red one instantly retorted,

"I ain't no glitchmouse!"

"Pr-ooove it," taunted the other. The little red and black mech leaped from the light and crashed down onto the blue mech. Metal crunched as they clashed and started to fight.

A grin fluttered onto Krystal's face as she snickered and laughed. Soundwave's red visor flashed violently.

"Rumble, Frenzy, cease useless fray," Soundwave commanded. It took a minute, but the pair pulled it off. Each stood and looked down guiltily.

"Sorry Soundwave," they each muttered to the other's peds.

"Apology acknowledged. State purpose for fight." Rumble's head snapped up.

"He stole my rust sticks again!"

"It was payback for-"

"Silence," Soundwave ordered. Krystal snickered.

"These the new recruits?" Krystal asked. Before Soundwave could respond, Krystal bent down 'til she was optic level with the two Cassittcons.

"Remember pipsqueaks, I am a fragging god. Don't cross me or I'll turn you into powdered rust. Am I clear?"

"You're Krystal?" they asked in unison. She nodded. They ran behind Soundwave's legs. Krystal laughed darkly.

"Fear, oh do I love it." An odd silence filled between Krystal and Soundwave. Both knew Krystal would never hurt Soundwave's minions (unless she had to of course) for Soundwave was the only mech Krystal actually had any respect for. They were one in the same; only Soundwave used his darker talents in an interrogation room rather than out in the open like Krystal did regularly. The main difference in their personalities was that Soundwave didn't thrive off the high of the hunt, the thrill of the kill; he didn't need to feel the feeling of being in control, he knew he was.

"Krystal, well?" Soundwave asked somewhat awkwardly.

"Indeed I am. What about you? I see you have some new brats."

"Rumble and Frenzy," Soundwave introduced. As he said their names, he pointed to them. Krystal took a mental note: Rumble: blue; Frenzy: annoying.

"It's good meeting you here, but I really must dash. See ya!"

Krystal powered out of the building through the nearest vertical access.

Please review!

Thanks kitties!

-Blueberry


	2. Part Two: Decision Upon Arrival

Part Two: Decision Upon Arrival

Several stellar cycles have passed since Krystal met Megatron and began to do his bidding. Over the cycles, Krystal became more and more a part of his plans, his rise to power. She was spending more and more of her time at Decepticon Head Quarters in Kaon much to the displeasure of the Decepticon soldiers and Krystal. She didn't choose to stay for elongated periods of time; it just sadly played out that way. Much like today...

"Megatron, she can't keep coming here! She's not a Decepticon! She could turn so many of our secrets over to the Autobots! She could be a spy seeing as she is already an assassin," Starscream complained loudly. He crossed his arms and glared at the offending femme.

All at the same time, Megatron and Krystal shouted at him, "Quit your bitching, Starscream." Starscream's wings flattened out as his glare harden and his faceplate twisted. Krystal held his gaze with an obvious smile on her lips.

"But Megatron-"

"Do not question me, Starscream," Megatron growled. "I know Krystal is trustworthy much unlike yourself." Starscream's mouth fell open. Krystal snickered from her perch on a filing cabinet, her visor a lite in a light red glow causing her visor to turn purple.

"So you're giving her the keys to the castle just because you've done past business with her?!" Starscream spat.

"I would shut your trap, Screamer," Krystal warned. Both meches turned their gaze onto the small black femme. "I can easily gut you and make it look like you ended yourself."

"You're nothing compared to me."

Fast as lightning, Krystal was off her perch and atop Starscream, who was on his back. Krystal's ped forced his helm to bend back much farther than was comfortable. She knelt down, one leg on his chassis and the other on the ground. The sharpened metal guard that was designed to protect her knee joint bit into his throat. Starscream tried cringe back, but all he managed to do was get the thing jammed farther into his neck. He thrashed his arms. Krystal promptly pinned them down.

"What were you saying, Starscream?" Krystal asked icily. Her visor was void of all color.

"No-noth-thing," he choked out.

"That's what I thought you said, but I wasn't sure." She released him and stood up. "Remember Starscream, at the end of the cycle, I'm the one who stands victorious. You are nothing more than petty waste of parts. Understood?" He nodded once. "Good. Be gone!" She got off him.

With one last hate filled glare, Starscream stood and stormed from the room.

Later in Starscream's quarters...

"I can't believe that femme has the nerve to completely humiliate me in front of Megatron! Who does she think she is?! I am his Second in Command. Not she. She is an arrogant, impulsive, egotistical, fragging suck-up! She shouldn't have ANY rites while on Decepticon turf." Starscream ranted.

Skywarp lounged on his recharging berth as he half-heartedly listened to his wing mate rant about the assassin again. Servos behind his helm, optics shuttered, Skywarp tuned him out completely as he drifted towards recharge.

"SKYWARP!"

Skywarp woke with a start to see the blazing hate-filled look in his wing mates' optics.

"You fragging glitch head! Recharge on me! I don't think so!"

Starscream back-handed Skywarp. Soon a brawl broke out between the two. Thundercracker tried to stop the fray, but only got pulled into it. Shots were fired, swear words exchanged. All unknown to the three Seekers, Krystal lay in the air duct videotaping the whole thing. She giggled softly as Starscream took a blow to the helm from the butt of Skywarp's gun. Thundercracker punched at Skywarp who warped and landed atop his trine members.

"This is gold. This is so going on to the network. Megatron's gonna be pissed."

And was he ever. At the start of the next solar cycle Starscream was called down to the conference room to "discuss" his issues with Megatron's orders; meaning that Starscream got thrown around the room for the other Decepticon's amusement.

"Please my lord, I have done nothing wrong!" Starscream pleaded.

"Nothing you say." Megatron paused in his beating to ponder what he'd seen. Grabbing Starscream by his face, Megatron raised him off the floor until Starscream was several feet off the ground; supported by nothing other than Megatron clawed servo.

"I have evidence of you ranting to your trine about how I run my armada. I have warriors who are forever loyal and would gladly take up the task as your replacement, Starscream."

"My only concern my lord, is the fact that Krystal isn't sworn to you."

Every set of optics moved to gaze at the pure black femme in the back of the room. Her expression impossible to read because of the visor fitted over most of her face.

"You're worried about me?" she said promptly. She pushed herself off the wall and started to walk forward across the room. The thick crowd separated like oil in water. She straightened her back until she was as tall as she could make herself. Krystal marched between the folds of the crowd right up to Starscream.

"Thank you for your concern, but it's extremely unnecessary," Krystal informed him. "After all, you are the mighty Air Commander and Second to no one other than Megatron himself. You are a very busy mech; you shouldn't have time for lowly, unimportant femmes like myself, isn't that right, Starscream?"

Starscream squirmed under Megatron's grasp and Krystal's words.

"She has a point," Megatron mused. "A much better one than yourself." Megatron threw his second in command across the room into several tables. They crunched and collapsed under his sudden weight.

"Starscream has brought something to my attention though," Megatron began. His optics honed in on Krystal.

"Everyone is dismissed," he announced. "Except for my commanders and directors." The Decepticons slowly drained out of the room; Krystal among them. She was almost to the door when a servo pressed itself onto her shoulder.

"Lord Megatron requires presence," Soundwave informed her.

"Of course he does," she mumbled to herself.

Backtracking with Soundwave on her heels, Krystal made it back to the center of the room. Standing there were all the meches that hated Krystal; the feeling was mutual.

Shockwave stood across Megatron, a tint of guilt in his eye. He shifted from ped to ped nervously. Starscream laid battered and bleeding when he'd been thrown nearly a breem before. Soundwave stood perfectly still with his brats Rumble and Frenzy clinging to his side; Ravage lay hidden in shadow documenting the meeting.

"Now that everyone is here, we shall commence," Megatron announced. "Krystal," he said suddenly. So taken aback by the sudden usage of her name, she flinched.

"Yes?"

"You are to make your choice now," he informed her. "You have had enough time to decide whether or not you'd like to belong." Silence followed his words.

'This isn't happening! This isn't happening! Okay, Kryst, hold yourself together. You can do this. Just kill him. You need no binds. You can easily kill them all and leave like you've never been here. It'll be easy. Just kill him.' Krystal expanded her servos, ready to jump, when something else crossed her mind.

'They understand you. They understand your need to kill; why you get so high off the rush of energon. They understand why you don't fit in. They TOOK you in; saved you from total isolation.'

Before she realized what she was doing, Krystal knelt before Megatron, helm bowed. Her right servo was pressed up into her spark chamber. Behind her visor, a determined look shined in her optics.

"You are my lord and master. I am yours to command. I shall follow your every whim to a tee. I will never disobey and if I do, punishment will be necessary. I will be forever loyal to my lord and master." Krystal finished her oath with a murmured," unless I am compromised."

Krystal knew that she was loud enough to be heard clearly on Ravage's recording, but quiet enough to have her last remark go unnoticed. It was in her best interest to keep it that way.


End file.
